“If you trade (Nail Yakupov and Sam Gagner)… you got a disaster on your hands,” says former NHL GM

This in from former NHL coach and GM Doug MacLean, now a Sportsnet commentator, his take from Wednesday night’s Edmonton Oilers broadcast on whether or not the Oilers should look to trade smaller, skilled players like centre Sam Gagner or winger Nail Yakupov:

“Gagner and Yakupov have really been a real dilemma for this organization. They don’t know what to do with them. -29 for Yakupov. Talented kid. You know he’s going to score a lot of goals in the NHL before he’s done. Gagner, solid, solid. People don’t know if he’s a #2 or a #3 (centre).

“Here’s the problem. You got to stay with these guys. You’re not going to get value (in a trade). It’s disappointing the way they’ve performed, but you are not going to get value. So stay with them.”

It was suggested to MacLean that the mix was all wrong, that the Oilers need some bigger, tougher players for their top six. MacLean agreed, but only to an extent, putting a different spin on the notion: ”You bring in complementary guys to play with them. I’ve said it for years. You take their Top Six, and you make it a Top Nine because you fill in with quality 2-way guys. But if you start trading these guys, you are not getting value and you got a disaster on your hands.”